Best Summer Ever
by fuzzyalligator
Summary: Blaine and his mother spend the summer at his aunt's to get away from his homophobic but clueless father. While he's there he meets Kurt and gains the courage to be who he wants to be. AU fic.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Best Summer Ever  
><span>Author<span>: fuzzyalligator  
><span>Rating<span>: T  
><span>Genre<span>: Romance, Humor, Angst  
><span>Disclaimer<span>: Not mine. Oh, but if they were... D

A/N: I know, how dare I post a story that takes place during the summer when we're all going back to school! I'm doing it 'cause I want to! So shush! xD

Enjoy~

**oO0Oo**

The tall trees gave way to an open field as Blaine Anderson stared out the window of the large red car. As he watched the scenery pass by them, he turned up the volume on his iPod as one of his favorite songs started to play. Just as the chorus started he felt his mother gently grab his shoulder.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning away from the window and pulling an ear bud out.

Karen smiled sadly at her son and looked back at the road. "What are you listening to?"

Blaine returned the smile and paused his music so he could talk with his mother. "_Hey, Jude_. Sorry, was it too loud?"

"Just a little," she admitted and pushed her curly black hair behind her ear. "But I wanted to know because you were mouthing the words. Again."

"Stop being a creeper, mom," Blaine joked and adjusted in his seat so he was facing her a little more. "How much longer until we get there? It's been a while since we got out and stretched our legs." This was the first time he'd ever gone to his aunt's house and didn't know how much farther they had to go on this particular road.

His mother nodded in agreement, "We should be there in the next fifteen minutes. Depending on traffic."

Blaine looked out the windshield to the empty road before them. The highway had ended 20 miles behind them and since they'd gotten on this road they'd only seen a few cars. But Blaine wasn't complaining. The forest they had driven through had been so beautiful. If only he decided to take photography last year he'd have a proper camera.

"So, fifteen minutes?" Blaine asked with a cheeky smile and laughed when his mother playfully shoved him. The two continued their conversation, not having properly talked to each other since they left over five hours ago.

Blaine was laughing at one of his mother's corny jokes when he saw the large wooden sign. _**Blakeston Town**_ was carved in curvy letters with a small '_Welcome_' written below it. In less than a mile Blaine saw the town his mother had grown up in.

It reminded the teen of all the little towns described in books and seen in movies. The small but endearing houses had friendly people waving at the passing car in their yards and there were actually 'old-timers' whispering to each other in front of one of the stores.

It took five minutes to get from one side of the town to the other where Cindy, Blaine's aunt, lived. Her house, much like the others, had a white picket fence, a perfectly groomed lawn, and a couple of chairs out on the deck. Really, the only way someone could tell the difference between it and a neighbor's was that her house had been repainted a bright pink color.

"Huh…" Blaine's mother said quietly as she parked right behind the beaten up truck in the driveway. "She told me the house was lime green."

Before Blaine could say anything the front door slammed open and a 7 year girl flew off the porch. "Auntie Karen!" she squealed in joy and collided with the front of the car with a big smile.

Blaine chuckled at his young cousin and opened his door, effectively catching the interest of the blonde girl. "Blaine!" she screamed much louder in surprise and sprinted to his side of the car. Before one foot was even touching the gravel the girl had thrown herself at her cousin. "I didn't know you were coming!"

"Surprise, Zoey," Blaine laughed and hugged the girl back tightly. The two hadn't seen each other since Christmas, a little more than five months ago. "Mom told Aunt Cindy not to tell you so it'd be a surprise."

While the two embraced, Karen had gotten out of the car and headed to the front porch where her sister and brother-in-law were watching with smiles. "Hey," she said happily and hugged her younger sister tightly, being careful of her large stomach. "When's this one due?"

"Next month," Roger answered with a proud smile and pulled his wife close to kiss her cheek. "We're going to name him Eric."

"Or _her_ Emily," Cindy countered with a small laugh and rubbed her stomach lightly. "Depends on what it is."

"I still think you're crazy not knowing the baby's sex," Karen said with a smile and followed the couple inside.

Eventually Blaine wormed his way out of his cousin's arms and the seatbelt. "Where's Tigger?" he asked and knelt to the ground.

The blonde girl hopped onto his back and giggled as she was carried to the backward. "He's sleeping in his house," Zoey answered and pointed to the rainbow colored dog house in the farthest corner.

As the two got closer, an old yellow lab walked out of the colorful house and wagged its tail quickly when he spotted them. With a happy bark, he met them the rest of the way, jumping up on Blaine's chest to lick his face sloppily.

Blaine gently pushed the dog down and helped Zoey off of his back. The young girl hugged her dog around the neck, being careful not to hurt him. "How long are you guys staying?" she asked happily, so excited to see her cousin and aunt.

"Until the end of August," he answered, laughing when Zoey started jumping up and down even more thrilled. Normally it was his mother who came to visit during the summer, and that was only for a week or two. So hearing that both of them were going to be there until school started made her the happiest girl in the world.

Zoey grabbed both of Blaine's hands and started to dance around in the circle. After a few spins, Blaine started to go faster and she was quickly lifted off the ground as they spun faster and faster. It wasn't too long before Blaine became dizzy and stopped, both of them falling to the ground laughing.

"This is going to be the _best summer_ ever!" Zoey exclaimed and turned so she could use Blaine's chest as a pillow. Tigger had watched them with his tail wagging and now used the teen's leg as his own pillow.

Blaine hugged the little girl close, happy tears finally falling. He knew that no matter what happened in his life, whatever he was, she would always love him. And that's all that he needed right now.

Karen watched as the two children laid in the grass and smiled at them. "So…" Cindy asked, walking up behind her sister quietly. How was that even possible when she was that big? "Are you going to tell me why you're staying so long?"

With a sigh, Karen turned to her sister and said one thing, "Teddy."

Cindy looked at her sister curiously and knew that was all she was going to get out of her for now. She didn't know what her sister's husband had to do with them staying in the town for almost three months but hoped it wasn't anything too bad.

"Food's ready!" Roger called, waving one of the sandwiches at the kids through the kitchen window. Instantly the dog was up and running towards the house with the cousins following at a much slower pace.

The family ate their grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup (Zoey's very favorite) at the dining table while they shared stories since the last time they were together.

Zoey had gotten all A's in her classes, which was wonderful because she'd been having trouble in some of them. And because of her good grades, her parents had allowed her to pick the house's color.

"That explains so much!" Karen laughed, knowing that hot pink was her little niece's favorite color. "You're going to be careful next time you promise her anything, right?"

Roger grumbled, not a big fan of the color his house now was. But he'd been true to his word and had painted it the color for his little princess. "It won't be something big like that, I'll tell you that."

Cindy chuckled lightly and turned to Blaine on her right. "So, has anything exciting happened to you since Christmas?" she asked conversationally with a smile.

Blaine knew that his mother talked to her sister almost daily so there really wasn't anything too exciting to tell. Except…He wasn't sure if he was ready to tell them _that_ so he just shook his head. Although he knew Zoey would love him no matter what, he wasn't sure how his aunt and uncle would react to hearing his latest discovery about himself.

"Well I just finished my latest book this morning," Roger said happily and leaned back in his chair proudly. "I just need to send it to my publisher and we should be getting tons of cash really soon."

Cindy rolled her eyes at her husband's playful boasting and groaned when the baby kicked her. "Excuse me," she said, getting out of her chair carefully. "I have to use the rest room."

Blaine watched her leave the room and jumped lightly when he felt something wet touch his hand. Underneath the table was Tigger looking for table scraps. Blaine still had some sandwich left and tried to sneak it to the dog.

"You know better than that," Zoey scolded, looking under the table to glare at her dog. Tigger's ears went back and he slowly crawled over to her, trying to apologize for his bad behavior.

"Where are you two staying?" Roger asked out of the blue, just now realizing that there wasn't enough room in their house for _two_ guests (his wife had forgotten to mention Blaine was coming until a few hours before their arrival). "You can barely stand our couch for a week, Kare." Karen glared lightly at him, hating that nickname.

"Blaine can stay in my room!" Zoey offered helpfully, forgetting about her apologetic dog in favor of trying to convince the others to let him stay there.

Karen smiled at her niece but shook her head, "Since there's not enough room here for both of us I called the bed and breakfast in town. We have two rooms waiting for us there. But maybe Blaine can spend the night a couple times while we're here." She added the last part when Zoey's face started to fall.

Instantly the smile was back and she was looking at her cousin expectantly. Blaine smiled back at her and nodded, "As long as we can stay up all night watching funny movies."

"Yes!" she cried happily and bounced in her seat.

"Are _you_ promising her something now, sis?" Cindy asked, waddling back into the room and smiling at her family at the table. It had been too long since they'd all been together.

Roger quickly leapt from his seat to help his wife to her own, making sure she was comfortable before walking to Tigger who was now sitting by the back door. "Be free, beast," he told the dog as he opened the back door.

Zoey giggled at her father and smiled up at him when he ruffled her blonde hair, much like his own. "Can Blaine spend the night tonight, daddy?"

"Actually," Karen said, standing and stretching, "Blaine needs to come with me so we can unpack all our things. But maybe if you're a good girl he can on Saturday."

The little girl had a big grin and looked at Blaine as he stood along with his mother. "I'll be the best girl in the world!"

Blaine laughed and walked to her side of the table, pulling her close in a hug. "I'll unpack everything so I can come see you early tomorrow. OK?" Zoey nodded as she held him close, still so happy to see her cousin.

The rest of the family said their goodbyes and the two Andersons headed back to their car. "They'll still love you, you know," Karen said as she backed out of the driveway. Blaine refused to look at his mother, not wanting to see him feeling guilty.

They drove to the B&B in silence, neither of them wanting to say anything. There were only a few cars in the parking lot so the red vehicle was parked almost right next to the entrance. Karen told Blaine to start unpacking while she went to check them in.

Because the two of them were staying for the whole summer, both had packed a couple of large suitcases (along with Blaine's guitar). How was she expecting him to pull them all out by himself? Not to mention the way they'd been jammed in earlier that day.

With a sigh, he grabbed the handle of the suitcase on the top and pulled with all his might. It budged just a little bit a few times but it was definitely stuck in there. Just when he was going to give up, someone walked up to him.

"What some help?" a girl asked and when he turned around he saw a girl about his age standing there. She was wearing a pair of bright orange jeans and a white tank top. Her black hair was in a French braid and her arms were crossed over her chest as she waited for an answer. "Well?"

Blaine nodded and pointed to the luggage he'd been trying to get out earlier. "It won't move," he explained and stepped to the side as the girl moved towards the car. Together, they each grabbed the handle and pulled. It took a few tries but eventually it came loose. "Thanks, uh…"

"Mercedes," she answered, already pulling another piece of luggage out. Because there was one less piece, it was easier to get the rest of them. "You must be Anderson."

Blaine stopped pulling the last piece out and looked at her in shock. He'd heard that in small towns news traveled fast, but this fast? "How-"

"My parents run this place," she explained with a smile and it looked like she was trying not to laugh. "Didn't mean to scare you. I just noticed that you have a lot of luggage for one person."

Blaine instantly relaxed, he was glad to know that news didn't travel _that_ fast around here. That's not what he needed right now. "I'm Blaine," he offered, holding out a hand which Mercedes gladly took.

"Oh, I see you're already making friends," Karen said as she walked out of the B&B and grabbed her largest piece of luggage. "Come on, B." Blaine rolled his eyes at the nickname but grabbed his own luggage to follow her into the building.

The first floor was completely open; the only wall was hiding the kitchen area. One half of the large room was filled with tables and chairs near the kitchen. Blaine assumed that's where everyone ate meals, which made sense because that's what some people were doing right then.

The other half of the room was filled with couches and stuffed chairs, a large television, and some bookcases that were completely filled. In the farthest corner Blaine could see a table with a stack of bored games on top.

Even though he couldn't see it, Blaine knew that the upstairs was bedrooms. He absently wondered how many other guests were actually staying there. When his mother started to move, he followed after her. He noticed that his mother's other bag was already there and assumed that Mercedes as slipped past him to put it there.

It took them a little bit to get everything in their respective rooms, but once everything was locked behind the doors the two of them decided to head down for something to drink.

"You could bring your guitar," his mother suggested as she stood next to his locked door. Although they both trusted the people in the town, they had each brought things that were very important to them and didn't want to take any chances.

Blaine hesitated at the top of the stairs and thought about that. It had been a while since he'd gotten to really play. But the more that he thought about it, the less he really wanted to. "It's okay," he finally replied with a smile. "I just want something to drink. Then, maybe if you're a good girl, I'll play you something."

Karen reached out to smack the side of his head but he was too quick for her. As he hurried down the stairs he laughed and a few of the patrons there looked at him curiously. He waved to them lightly in embarrassment and walked to one of the empty tables. His mother joined him soon after and the two of them looked at the drink menu.

A few minutes later someone stopped by their table and asked, "What would you like to drink?"

"Just a nice, big glass of ice tea please," Karen replied with a smile and handed the menu to her son. The waiter smiled back, writing her order down and then it was Blaine's turn.

"Can I get a…" Blaine started to say but when he looked up at the waiter he lost his train of thought. The boy standing by the table was absolutely beautiful and it seemed that Blaine's brain decided that it was a perfectly good idea to stop working just then.

**oO0Oo**

Review?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: If you recognize anything, it's probably not mine. I do own a few OC's shown here and the plot. But that's about it.

**oO0Oo**

Kurt grimaced as he tied the green apron around his waist, thinking that it severely clashed with today's outfit. Why couldn't the Jones' pick a different color to make the uniforms?

"Quit making that face," Mercedes laughed as she tied her own apron around her. Although they both knew that the shade of green didn't match either of their outfits, Mercedes knew better than to let it show. "The sooner we get out there the sooner we can take these things off."

"You're only saying that because your mom asked you to come in for a few hours," Kurt countered as the two teens left the kitchen area. "I have to stay until closing!"

It was just a little after noon so that meant that the lunch rush was going to be coming in soon. There were other restaurants in town but everyone knew that Mercedes' mom made the best apple pie. And that's what everyone came for at lunch time.

Mercedes shook her head with a smile and hugged her best friend before heading to one of the tables which needed to be cleaned. Kurt smiled at her even though she couldn't see it and headed to the closest to retrieve the mop and broom.

Nothing needed to be cleaned up just then but something always happened during lunch and one or the other would be needed. While Mercedes tended to the tables, Kurt went back into the kitchen to help the cooks prep for the meal.

"You can wash and cut the vegetables for the soup," Zack, a large, bald man in his forties, instructed and gestured with a giant knife. Although the man looked intimidating, everyone in town knew he wouldn't hurt a fly. A chicken on the other hand…

Zack cut the chicken up like an expert and tossed the pieces into the pot where the soup would be made. Kurt nodded and went to get the vegetables from the refrigerator. Aside from Mercedes, he was the only waiter that was allowed to cook anything back there. Not that the other waiters wanted anything to do with what goes on back in the kitchen.

Since he was little Kurt had loved cooking. It had always made his mother happy and after her passing it was one of the few things that could bring a smile to his father's face. But now it just made him happy to see the reaction of the people who ate his food.

Once he was done cutting up all the vegetables, Zack told him to go out and help Mercedes with the tables. "Lunch rush is here," he said and started on the days soup.

Kurt groaned at the thought of going out there dressed like this and headed to the door. Before he actually left the kitchen, he made sure to fix his hair. If he couldn't wear what he wanted then he would have fabulous hair.

"About time!" Mike shouted when Kurt finally emerged and threw his small pad of paper at him. "Mercedes had to go help her dad with something upstairs so we're one waiter short." The tall Asian boy grabbed another pencil before hurrying to one of his tables.

Kurt rolled his blue eyes and went to Mercedes' section. "What can I get for you Carole?" he asked his stepmother, pleased to see her.

"Hi, Kurt," she said with a smile and looked back at the kitchen. "What are they cooking back there?"

The brunet looked back briefly, "I think it's chicken noodle soup. Would you like a bowl?"

"Please," Carole replied, setting the menu down on the table and smiled up at her new stepson. "How's it been around here?"

Kurt gestured around them lightly, indicating the crowded dining area. "Oh, it's been very calm," he replied sarcastically but in good nature. Carole laughed and let Kurt go so he could do his job and watched him wait on another table.

She owed that boy so much and had no idea how to thank him. He had properly introduced her to his father Burt and then had given her a makeover. That makeover had given her so much confidence and had made her happy. Not to mention he'd welcomed her and Finn into the family so warmly.

If only there was something she could to for Kurt to show her thanks without really letting him know what she was doing. While she thought, the tables around her had become even more crowded and Kurt could barely say a word to her when he delivered her lunch.

Because so many people were showing up, she ate quickly and headed to the counter so she could pay. "Tell Kurt I said 'goodbye' Mercedes," she told the teen before slipping outside.

Although she had tried to be sneaky, Kurt had seen Carole leaving the B&B. He smiled fondly at the woman and was quickly reminded of where he was when his name was called out. With a silent sigh he went back to work. He couldn't wait until he was 18.

**oO0Oo**

Kurt was taking a five minute break when Mercedes burst into the kitchen area. Lunch had ended about an hour ago so he didn't know what she was looking so frantic. "There's a red car in the parking lot!" she exclaimed loudly, and pulled Kurt to his feet.

The two teens stuck their heads out the door just as a black haired woman walked into the building. "Isn't that Karen?" Mercedes asked as they watched her talk to the man at the front desk.

"I think so," Kurt replied quietly. Because they lived in a small town that meant that everyone knew everyone. Even the people that left and came back to visit. "Why is she checking in here?"

Everyone in town also knew that when Karen came to visit her sister, she always stayed at their place. So it didn't really make sense for her to spend money on a room when she could stay somewhere for free and come here for the food.

"Let's go ask," Mercedes said, walking into the main room, just out of Kurt's reach. The boy watched her walking away and hurried after her, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Hi, Karen!"

The woman turned around when she heard a familiar voice and smiled when she saw the two teens. "Hi, Kurt. Hey, Mercedes," she greeted, putting her wallet back into her purse after paying Stan. "How are you two?"

"We're great," Mercedes answered, smiling back. "But we want to know what you're paying Stan for a room. Did Roger finally kick you out?"

Karen laughed at the joke, all three of them knowing that Cindy would kick her sister out before he would. "Actually we're staying here for a little longer than normal," she answered and gestured to the still open door when they gave her questioning looks.

Kurt's heart skipped a beat when he caught a glimpse at the boy Karen had pointed to. Because he was so far away it was hard to make out exact details but there was just something about him that made Kurt gape at him openly. He hadn't done that since…

That thought derailed when the boy started to pull on the luggage and Kurt's eyes wandered from his broad shoulders down to his-

"Who's that?" Mercedes asked in interest, breaking Kurt's concentration. The brunet could feel his cheeks eat up but he turned to face the two women.

Karen laughed lightly and leaned against the front desk. "_That_ is Blaine." She laughed a little more when the two teens gave her disbelieving looks.

Whenever she visited, she always brought pictures of her son to share with her family and only them. Blaine wasn't very comfortable with her showing off his picture. But even though no one had ever seen a picture of him, they all knew about him and the rest of the Anderson family.

"Could one of you go help him?" she asked when she noticed that he was having problems with the luggage. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to shove it all in the back…

Mercedes was already untying her apron. "It's about my time to quit anyways," she explained and handed the green apron out to Kurt who took it with a glare. He watched as she quickly hurried out the door, unbeknownst to Blaine.

"Kurt!" Zack called from the kitchen and held up a dirty plate. Only until he was 18…

Kurt said goodbye to Karen and hurried to the kitchen to wash the dishes Mercedes was supposed to have done before she left. As he headed back he caught a glimpse of his best friend smiling at Blaine and was a little mad that she'd done that.

But he didn't let it bother him as he tossed the apron on a chair and started to fill the sink with water. Washing the dishes was a mindless task so Kurt was able to think about things. Like what his plans were for the summer and even beyond that.

Senior year was coming up which also meant college was coming. Although it killed him to think about it, he knew that there wasn't a chance he'd get to go to college if he ever wanted to-

"Blaine plays guitar," Mercedes said happily, interrupting his thoughts as she entered the kitchen. She actually skipped over to him in excitement. "And he's got the prettiest hazel eyes."

Kurt chuckled lightly at her and continued to wash the dishes. "Is he as cute as he looks from a distance?" he asked, trying to get over his jealousy.

"Even better," Mercedes answered with a smile. She could tell that Kurt was trying his hardest to be polite but she knew he was peeved that she got to see the cutie before him. "But he's not my type. I'm like them a little taller."

Kurt arched an eyebrow when he looked over at her. "Weren't you going home?" he asked and finished washing the dishes.

Before Mercedes could answer, Zack spoke up. "If you ain't working, get out!"

The teen rolled her eyes and hugged Kurt, being careful to not let any of the dirty dish water to get on her clothes. "You coming over tonight?"

"Wouldn't miss it," he replied and hugged her carefully.

Mercedes waved to her best friend and left the kitchen. Before she left the B&B she noticed that all of the Anderson's luggage had been removed and figured that they were settling upstairs. There was something that she 'forgotten' to mention to Kurt about Blaine. It was obvious that he played on the same team as Kurt.

But she knew he'd figure it out quickly.

With a pleased smile, she hopped onto her bike and made her way home so she could get the movie ready for later that night.

While Mercedes was biking home, happy with herself, Kurt had finished off the dishes and had been told to wait on the customers. Aside from the cooking, this was the only other good part about this job. When he was out taking orders (and it wasn't really busy) Kurt got to chat with the customers. That meant he got to hear the gossip around town first.

Kurt was writing down the florist's late lunch order when he heard someone running down the stairs with a laugh. Like the rest of the people in the room he looked over and couldn't help but smile when he saw Blaine give a small wave to everyone.

The black haired boy kept his eyes lowered as he took a seat at an empty table and Kurt lightly waved to Karen as she moved to join her son there. "He's a cutie," Sandy, the aged florist said when she saw who Kurt was looking at.

"I'll just go get your lunch," Kurt said instead of replying to her comment. Even though it was getting later in the day Zack still had a pot full of the soup. As Kurt got closer his stomach growled when he smelled the soup. It was about his lunch time anyways.

"Go get Karen's order," Zack instructed when Kurt tried to pour two bowls of soup. The whole town knew that the chef had a soft spot for Karen so Kurt didn't argue. Even though the man wasn't mean it didn't mean that he couldn't think of something to do to someone who ignored him.

Kurt sighed and picked up the bowl of soup for Sandy. "Here," he said with a smile and headed over to the table. He took a couple of deep, calming breaths before he reached them and pulled his pen out. "What would you like to drink?"

"Just a nice, big glass of ice tea please," Karen replied with a smile and handed the menu to her son. Kurt smiled back before quickly writing out her order and finally turned to look at Blaine.

"Can I get a…" Blaine started to say but his sentence trailed off when he looked up at Kurt.

Mercedes was right about his hazel eyes, they were the more beautiful color Kurt had ever seen. And now that the other boy was closer he could really appreciate how handsome he looked.

The two stared at each other for a moment until Karen cleared her throat. Kurt blushed deeply but calmly repeated his earlier question. "Just a coke, please," Blaine mumbled, turning his face to the side so Kurt couldn't look at his gorgeous eyes anymore.

"Sure," he replied and jotted down his order. With one last smile at the woman, Kurt hurried back to the kitchen. Zack said something to him once he entered the back but he wasn't paying attention.

He jogged over to the refrigerator and stuck his whole head inside to calm his face down. It took a couple of minutes for Kurt to relax. When he realized that he must look mad, he quickly grabbed the glass bottle of coke and the pitcher of sun tea that Mercedes' mom had made earlier that morning.

"Are you okay?" Zack asked, walking over to the teenager. It was very unusual for Kurt to act the way he had before when he'd entered the kitchen. It didn't seem like he was upset, more…embarrassed?

Kurt nodded, almost sure that his cheeks weren't red anymore. "Fine, Zack," he replied, forcing a little smile. While he looked calm on the outside, inside he was screaming at himself for openly staring at the other boy.

The chef eyed him wearily but shrugged and went back to preparing dinner. This meal was going to be smaller because only a few of the townspeople actually ate there at night and there were only a couple of actual guests.

While he did that, Kurt carefully poured the iced tea and placed the pitcher back inside the cold refrigerator. The pad of paper was slipped in the pocket of the apron before Kurt picked up the two drinks and carried them back to the table.

As he got closer to the two of them, he noticed that they were whispering. When he was a few feet away he cleared his throat to get their attention. While Karen smiled broadly at him, Blaine kept his eyes on the table.

"Here you go Karen," Kurt said with a smile, placing the tea right in front of her and did the same with the bottle. "How long are you staying in town? You didn't mention it before."

Even though Kurt wasn't looking at Blaine, he'd seen him look at him when he said his mother's name. He purposely kept his eyes on the woman as he waited, not wanting to get caught in the Blaine's eyes again.

"We're going to be here all summer," she replied then took a sip of her tea. "Oh, that is wonderful. Tell Jackie that she makes the best tea anywhere."

"I will," Kurt said with a laugh and smile. He couldn't take it anymore, he looked at Blaine. The other boy actually looked shocked when he turned his way. "Hi, I'm Kurt. You must be Blaine. You're mother has told plenty of stories about you." In a gesture of friendship, he held out his hand and was relieved that Blaine shook it.

"What stories has she told you?" he asked hesitantly, lightly glaring at his mother.

Kurt shrugged and smiled again. "Everything."

"Oh, you liar!" Karen laughed and playfully pushed Kurt's arm from her seat. She looked past Kurt and waved. The two boys glanced back to see Zack waving at them and pointed to Kurt then the clock.

Kurt sighed and nodded before turning back. "It was nice meeting you, Blaine," he said with a smile and looked at Karen. "It's great seeing you again. Bye."

Karen waved to him as he hurried back to where Zack was. "You're making the salad tonight," the chef instructed and handed Kurt a couple of tomatoes. There were other waiters out there so it was all right that he was back there cooking.

The rest of Kurt's shift was spent in the kitchen, either making the salad or cleaning up after Zack's cooking mess. When it came time for him to be finished that night, Kurt was worn out. If only it wasn't too late for a coffee…

"Go on," Zack said snapping his fingers in front of Kurt's face. "If you don't start moving Mercedes will be calling here looking for you. And I really don't want to get in trouble with her."

Kurt chuckled, knowing that his best friend _could_ get scary every once and a while. "Bye, Zack," Kurt said, finally untying his apron and throwing it where Mercedes' had been hours before.

The chef waved with his back to Kurt and continued on with his cleaning. The kitchen had officially closed ten minutes ago so all that was left was making sure it was clean for breakfast tomorrow.

Kurt grabbed his coat from the hook by the door and hurried to his car. Even though it was such a small town, Kurt had never liked walking around at night so he drove everywhere when the sun went down.

Mercedes only lived a few minutes' walk from the B&B so it was even quicker for Kurt to get there. It had been a tradition with the two best friends that Friday would be a movie night with them, no matter what.

By the time Kurt knocked on the door, Mercedes was already in her pajamas. "Here," she said with a smile, handing Kurt his own sleepwear. "Now hurry, I've been dying to see this movie."

Kurt simply shook his head and walked into the bathroom to get changed. The whole house was quiet so Kurt knew that her parents had already gone to bed. He quickly changed and folded his clothes before heading to his best friend's bedroom.

She was lounging on her large bed with the remote in her hand. Kurt took the spot right next to hear, making sure to move the pillows so he was leaning against them. "Wanna talk about him?" Mercedes asked before she pushed the play button.

Kurt knew that even though she really wanted to watch this movie she wanted even more to know about Blaine. "He really is gorgeous," Kurt admitted and couldn't help but smile as he remembered how cute he looked when he blushed.

He told her what had happened when he took their orders which only made her giddier. "Oh, he's got the hots for you!" she said excited and her fingers itched to call their other friend Rachel. Plans needed to be made!

"If only," Kurt replied with a longing sigh and leaned back against the pillows. "Have I mentioned his eyes?"

Mercedes only laughed and rested against her friend as the two started to watch the movie.

**oO0Oo**

_Reviews make me happy~_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: If you recognize anything, it's probably not mine. I do own a few OC's shown here and the plot. But that's about it.

**oO0Oo**

A knocking on the door woke up Blaine the next day. "I'm going down for breakfast," his mother called from the hallway and headed downstairs when she heard a grunt come from his room.

Instead of getting out of bed to join her downstairs, Blaine turned over so he could stare up at the ceiling as he tried to remember his dreams (ever since he took a Psychology class last year he'd been trying to remember them) As he laid in bed just staring blankly at the cream colored ceiling above him images of blue eyes and a beautiful smile popped into his head.

Blaine groaned as he realized who those eyes and smile belonged to.

Ever since meeting Kurt the previous day he couldn't stop thinking about him. It wouldn't be so bad if his mother didn't know he found the other boy attractive. She'd actually caught him checking Kurt out as they chatted.

_Naturally_ started to play and Blaine picked his phone up with a smile. "Hey, Zoey," he greeted, successfully suppressing a yawn. Last Christmas he'd let her pick her ringtone and she chose her favorite Selena Gomez song.

"When are you coming over?" she asked excitedly which made him laugh.

Blaine sat up in the bed, "Well, I still have to eat breakfast and do some other stuff before I can leave. I can be there around noon. What have you got planned for us?"

"Mommy wants us to take Tigger for a walk," Zoey explained in a serious tone. "She said that daddy's too busy and she can't walk fast enough anymore. So she said we could do it!"

Blaine figured this must be the first "grown up" thing her parents had ever let her do alone. "And what about after that?"

"Well…" she said hesitantly, "I was wondering if maybe we could go play at the park if you wanted to."

Blaine laughed at her attempt to be nonchalant and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "I don't know," he replied with a smile, "Do _you_ want to play at the park?"

"Yes!"

He laughed again and walked over to the dresser. The night before his mother had made him put all his clothes away so they could fold the suitcases and hide them under the bed. And she had told him to keep this room clean, unlike his at home. "Then I guess we can go to the park," he said into the phone with his smile.

"I'm gonna go tell mommy!" she shouted excitedly into the phone and he could hear her running. While she did that, Blaine pulled out some clothes and went to get his toiletries. "Mommy says it's okay as long as you take your cell phone. Oh! If you do that we can listen to music, right?"

"Right," Blaine answered, still smiling. Now that he had everything, he said goodbye to his little cousin, promising to hurry so they could go on their walk.

He tossed the phone onto the bed and headed to the bathroom that joined his and his mother's rooms. Although they'd been there less than a day his mother had already taken over the small bathroom. Blaine carefully moved her things to one side of the counter and quickly took a shower.

Once he was finished with that he put some gel in his curly hair (despite what his mother would have liked) and brushed his teeth. And even though he tried to think of other things, his mind kept wandering back to the taller brunet.

When Blaine found himself making his bed he realized that he was delaying going downstairs, not looking forward to making a fool of himself once again. "Just go downstairs," he ordered himself and snatched his phone from the side table and exited the room.

There weren't many people in the dining area and the person taking his mother's plate away wasn't Kurt. "About time," she said with a smile but then frowned when she noticed the gel. "I thought I said not to pack that stuff."

Blaine took the seat opposite of her and shrugged. "Can I get a cheese omelet?" he asked the waitress when she returned just then. The blonde girl nodded before scribbling down his order and hurrying to the kitchen.

"Do you have any plans for today?" his mother asked before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Zoey and I are going to take Tigger for a walk then play in the park," he answered and took a sip of the water the waitress left for him. "What about you?"

"I'm going to see some of my friends," she said with a smile and stood up. "Just tell them to charge it to your room and I'll call you later. Okay?" Blaine nodded and allowed her to kiss his cheek.

**oO0Oo**

By the time Blaine finished his breakfast it was almost noon. "Uh…charge it to room 103," he told the waitress when she brought him the bill.

"Sure," she replied with a smile and took it to the front desk.

Blaine drank the rest of his water and hurried upstairs to make sure his door was locked and grab his iPod. Just before he closed off his room he looked at his guitar case longingly but left it there. There was no way he could carry that thing all the way to his aunt's. Before descending the stairs, Blaine put his headphones in and was on his way.

Since arriving the day before, Blaine had waved to more people than a whole year at home. He'd always thought living in a town like this would drive him mad, but he could see the appeal. And he wasn't just thinking about Kurt. All of the people he saw on his way to his aunt's house were genuinely nice to him.

It wasn't a long walk to the house but it seemed to go by even slower as he saw more people. Most of them waved and greeted him but a few stopped him to ask how he was and did he and his mother have a good first night.

Blaine was very polite to everyone who asked him questions but tried to continue on his way quickly. By the time he reached the hot pink house it he was about 10 minutes late and Zoey was sitting on her porch. "You're late," she stated, glaring at him for a moment before launching off the steps and into his arms.

"The people in this town are exceptionally nosy," he said with a laugh, hoping it sounded like a joke instead of the truth.

He set her on the ground and she took his hand to lead him into the backyard. "What does 'exceptionally' mean?" she asked curiously and waved to her mother who had just brought out the leash for them. Zoey gladly took it and hurried to find Tigger.

"It's another word for very," Cindy called to her and turned to smile at her nephew. "Just around the block a couple of times, okay? Tigger isn't as young as he used to be."

"Okay, Aunt Cindy," Blaine said and kissed her cheek softly. Thank goodness she wasn't as tall as his mother. Zoey and Tigger were walking up and Blaine waved to Cindy before the three of them left.

The walk around the block took a little more than a half hour due to all the stops. Most of the time it was the neighbors asking them questions (being nosy) but it seemed like Tigger had to pee and sniff everything they passed by.

Blaine let Zoey hold onto the leash during most of their walk, but it was obvious that she was getting tired of being pulled by the dog soon after their second lap began. Blaine casually mentioned wanting to hold it for a bit and smiled when she held it out for him to take.

Roger was waiting for them as their walk ended and held out a hand for the leash. "Have fun, you two," he called before leading Tigger into the house where he laid down on the cold kitchen floor.

Once his uncle was inside, Blaine bent down so Zoey could hope onto his back. "You're starting to get too big for this," he commented when it was a struggle to get back up. "This might be our last year doing this."

"No!" Zoey said and tightened her grip around Blaine's neck so much he had to tell her to let go. "Sorry…"

"It's okay," he answered and hopped a little as they walked down the sidewalk. Carefully, he pulled his phone out of his pocket so Zoey could pick some songs to listen to. They would have done it earlier but Tigger wasn't a big fan of the music coming from the phone.

As '_I Heart Weasleys_' by Ministry of Magic started to play they entered the small park. Blaine knelt to the ground so Zoey could jump off and she handed the phone back to him. "Come push me on the swings!" she said excitedly, pulling Blaine towards them.

There were only a few other children at the park that afternoon and Zoey waved to them all as they passed. "Don't you want to play with your friends?" Blaine asked after she declined a girl's offer to play on the jungle gym.

Zoey shook her head, making her blonde pigtails swish. "I can play with them anytime," she explained and let go of his hand to hop onto one of the seats. "You're never here so I have to spend every single minute with you."

Blaine chuckled, understanding what she meant. They spent the most time on the swings, just talking to each other and laughing. Sometimes Blaine forgot that Zoey was only 7 years old but then she would do something to remind him. Like jumping off from the swings when he wasn't expecting it. That nearly gave him a heart attack.

Zoey just laughed and raced to the dome jungle gym that was now unoccupied. In fact, Blaine noticed that the playground was almost completely empty. "Hey, Zoey?" he called to her and hurried to where she was climbing.

"Yeah, Blaine?" she answered, paying close attention to where her feet and hands were as she climbed up.

Blaine stood at the bottom of the dome and watched her carefully. "Where have all the other kids gone?"

"Home, I think," she said, still climbing. "A lot of the mommies and daddies have other things to do. When I come here with mommy we can only stay for a little bit." Blaine realized that she just might be right and looked down at his phone. They'd only been at the park for a half hour, but the other kids must have been there a while.

"Be careful," Blaine said as he watched her climb up higher.

Zoey nodded and cried out happily when she finally reached the top. She sat down on the very piece of flat metal on top and looked around the park. From her vantage point she could see to the street and even to some of the houses. She was about to tell Blaine that when she noticed something moving at the bottom of a tree.

Without thinking she quickly climbed down the side opposite of Blaine and hurried to the tree. Blaine had tried calling out to her but she either ignored him or was too focused on something to hear him. With a sigh he chased after her.

"It's a baby kitty!" she cried when she found the thing that had been moving. Blaine walked up slowly behind and looked down at the small tabby cat. It couldn't have been more than a few months old. The kitten was trying to make its way through the fallen leaves and slightly tall grass.

Blaine cautiously moved around his cousin and slowly scooped the kitten up in his hands. He frowned when he felt it shiver. It was too warm out for the kitten to be cold so it must have been shaking out of fear.

Still moving slowly, Blaine sat down on the ground and held the kitten close to him. Zoey copied him and tried to keep an eye on the kitten in his hands. He didn't know much about cats – being a dog lover himself – but he knew that sometimes he could calm little kids down by singing to them.

Softly and soothingly, he started to sing '_You Are My Sunshine_'.

Zoey smiled as she listened to her cousin sing to the kitten. Slowly, she reached into his cupped hands and started to gently rub the kittens back, hoping the gesture would calm it down too.

'_You Are My Sunshine  
>My only sunshine.<br>You make me happy  
>When skies are grey.<br>You'll never know, dear,  
>How much I love you.<br>Please don't take my sunshine away_'

He sang the lyrics a couple of times and was glad to feel the kitten's shaking lessen a bit. Just as Blaine was about to sing the song another time, someone else sang something new.

'_The other nite, dear,  
>As I lay sleeping<br>I dreamed I held you in my arms.  
>When I awoke, dear,<br>I was mistaken  
>And I hung my head and cried.<em>'

Blaine was stunned to find Kurt kneeling on his other side, looking down at the kitten in his hands. When he looked up the brunet smiled as he sang which sent shivers down Blaine's spine. His voice was so beautiful. Kurt started to sing the same lines Blaine had sung earlier and smiled a bit more when he joined in.

"I think he's asleep," Zoey whispered as they finished off the last line. She pulled her hand away and stood to give Kurt a big hug. "Thanks for helping! He was so scared."

"Anytime, Zoey," Kurt said, hugging her back and standing. Once he was stable he held a hand out to Blaine who took it after only a moment's hesitation. "Hi, Blaine."

"Hi, Kurt," he replied with a smile and held the kitten close to him when he felt it shift in his hand. Zoey was right, it really was fast asleep. "Think we should take it home?"

The brunet nodded and slung his satchel onto his shoulder and held out a hand for Zoey to take. The little girl gladly grabbed it and started to tell him about finding the kitten as they walked toward her house.

Blaine chuckled as he listened to her and smiled when Kurt looked at him over Zoey's head. The two held each other's gazes for a minute until Blaine felt the kitten rubbing its head into the palm of his hand.

"Sing to him," Zoey said when she realized what was happening. The two teens exchanged looks once again before they started to sing _You Are My Sunshine_once more. They sang it four times before they reached the pink house.

Blaine noticed that Kurt's eyes went wide when he saw the exact shade that it had been painted. "I though you said it was going to be a pretty pink," Kurt said, tearing his gaze away to look at Zoey.

"It _is_ a pretty pink," she replied with a big smile and hurried into the house to find her parents.

As soon as she disappeared inside Kurt couldn't help but comment, "I thought she meant _pastel_ pink…"

Blaine chuckled, amused by the horrified tone. "I'm surprised you haven't seen it yet," he said to make conversation and walked with him into the house.

"I've been busy with school and glee club," Kurt replied, trying to keep his eyes off the bright color.

Blaine was about to ask him about the glee club but stopped when his aunt walked over to them the fastest she could. "Take it outside, Blaine," she ordered, gently pushing the teen backwards. "Hurry!"

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked as he fled down the stairs, fearing something had happened in the house. Kurt looked just as scared but walked down to the walkway. "Is Uncle Roger okay? What about Zoey?"

"Oh, they're fine," Cindy answered and tried to catch her breath, it was hard work walking that fast with a stomach as large as hers. "It's just that Roger's terribly allergic to cats. Zoey's inside washing her hands right now."

Due to all of the excitement the little tabby had woken up and was now meowing. Blaine frowned lightly at his aunt for waking the kitten and started to sing to it softly. "Are his allergies that bad?" Kurt asked and Cindy noticed him watching Blaine.

She nodded and inhaled lightly. "He starts to sneeze and his eyes get all watery. And that's without actually _touching_ the cat. We found out the hard way."

"Then what are we supposed to do with it?" Blaine asked once the kitten had stopped meowing. He wasn't sure how long it had been out there but he was sure it was going to need to eat soon. "I don't suppose there's a cat shelter around here, is there?"

Kurt shook his head, "But there is a vet. Maybe someone lost the kitten, we could take it there."

"No!" Zoey called from the porch after she washed her hands. She hurried to them, dropping the dish towel on the ground in her haste. "We can't take him to the vets! He's our baby!"

With a sigh, Kurt knelt down so he was eyelevel with the little girl. "But he might be someone else's baby," he reasoned with her, gently taking her hand. "Don't you want the kitty to be with his mommy or daddy?"

Zoey stared at him for a moment while she thought and started to cry when she realized he was right. They'd had to take the kitten to the vet's. "But…but what if he's not someone else's?" She looked from Kurt to her mother. "What will the vet do with him?"

"I don't know, sweetie," Cindy answered truthfully, smiling sadly as her daughter. She forced herself to look away from the tearful girl and to Blaine. "Take the kitten to the vet's. You can use my car."

"I don't know whe-" Blaine started to say but Kurt interrupted him by standing.

The brunet was smiling down at Zoey. "How about Blaine and I take the kitten to the vet and we tell you what she says. Is that okay with you?"

Zoey sniffled and used her arm to wipe her runny nose but nodded. "Promise you'll call as soon as you know?"

"Of course," Kurt promised with a smile and turned to Cindy. "Is it okay if I take City Boy in your van? I left mine at Mercedes'."

"It's all right," she answered and headed into the house, dragging her daughter with her, making her pick up the cloth as they passed it.

Once they were back inside, Blaine turned to Kurt. "You don't have to do this," he told him, cradling the kitten close to him, hoping it was okay. "I'm sure you have something better to do than to take me to the vet's."

"Let's just call it my good deed for the day," Kurt replied and Blaine felt his heart skip a beat when he smiled at him. Oh, that couldn't be good…

**oO0Oo**

_Reviews make me happy! And a happy writer writes more! xD_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: If you recognize anything, it's probably not mine. I do own a few OC's shown here and the plot. But that's about it.

**oO0Oo**

Cindy waddled back outside with her keys in her hand. "Be careful with the brakes," she warned Kurt as she handed them to him. "And don't forget to call us when Miranda makes a decision."

"We know, Aunt Cindy," Blaine said, sounding bored but the grin told Kurt that he had been joking. That smile had taken Kurt's breath away when he first saw it and still managed to do so. "Try and distract Zoey by asking how high she climbed today."

The black haired woman stared at her nephew with wide eyes which quickly narrowed. "Oh, she is in so much trouble." Without another word she hurried back into the house, most likely to scold her daughter.

"That can't be good," Blaine murmured but started walking to the minivan.

It didn't take long to arrive at the vet's but the ride had still been uncomfortably quiet. At least when they were walking back to the house – Really? _Bright_ pink – Zoey had filled the silence with her amusing babbling. Now that it was just the two boys there was nothing to say.

When they were parked, Kurt noticed Blaine struggling with the seatbelt and helped him out. "Thanks," he said, giving a small smile and opened the door. Kurt inhaled deeply to calm himself. Why had that smile caused his heart to beat faster?

Kurt quickly unbuckled himself and hurried after Blaine, but was successful in not letting it show.

The waiting room was empty aside from a few chairs, the front desk, and a scale they used for weighing the dogs. Upon the desk were a couple of old computers, a lot of paperwork, some dog and cat treats, and Patty.

"Is that a parrot?" Blaine asked stunned and Kurt couldn't stop the smile that formed.

"That's Patty," he explained, walking to the front and greeting the bird. It squawked back and flew through the doorway behind the desk. "She was given to the veterinarian as a thank you gift a couple years ago."

Blaine walked up to the desk right beside Kurt, "How…interesting?"

Kurt chuckled and waved to the nurse who walked in. Together the two boys explained why they were there and were led into a room down the hallway. "Here," the nurse said, handing Kurt a blanket after he set his bag down next to one of the red, plastic seats. "Just put him in here and Miranda will be in really soon."

"Thanks, Kelly," Kurt said and held it out for Blaine to place the kitten in the middle. Carefully, he wrapped the kitten up and held it close. "So, is this your first time bringing a kitten to the vet's?"

Blaine chuckled lightly and nodded. "But not the first time bringing a pet to one," he said and leaned back in the plastic chair. "When I was about Zoey's age we had to take our dog to one so she could get her shots. I begged mom to never take me with her again."

Kurt opened his mouth to say something but the door opened again to reveal the redheaded veterinarian. "Hello, Kurt," she greeted with a warm smile and looked at Blaine. The two stared at one another for a moment before she walked over and offered a hand to him. "I'm Miranda Biel. And you are?" She was acting like she hadn't heard about him yet even though he had stayed at the B&B, which Kurt greatly appreciated.

"Blaine Anderson," he answered with a chuckle as he shook her hand. "Very nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too," she replied with her warm smiled then walked over to Kurt to peer into the blanket bundle. "Now, what can you tell me about this cute little kitty?"

While the two boys explained again, the veterinarian gently took the kitten from Kurt and placed it on the high table placed against the wall so she could examine animals better. By the time they were done with their story the little tabby had crawled out from the blankets and was cautiously walking around the table, sniffing.

"The good news is that she looks to be about 10 weeks old," the vet explained, gently grabbing the kitten to examine her further. "That means she doesn't need her mother anymore. And she's a healthy size for her age. I assume she's just lost from her home. If that's the case then we can call around."

"But what if she's not someone's pet?" Blaine asked a little worried. Miranda had set the kitten back on the table and she had found her way back over to Blaine. He gingerly held out a hand and smiled lightly when the tabby rubbed her head against it.

"Then we have two options," Miranda replied, watching him with her own smile. She looked over to Kurt to explain. "We can keep her here and hope to find her a home. Or one of you can take her."

Kurt nodded and glanced at Blaine out of the corner of his eye. The slightly shorter boy was now smiling bigger as the tiny cat nibbled on his finger. "So you'll call us if she's not lost?"

"If that's what you want me to do," Miranda answered and when Kurt looked at her he noticed the smirk before it disappeared. "I assume you're staying at the B&B, Blaine. They don't allow pets so that means…"

Kurt's blue eyes went wide as he realized what the vet was insinuating. "You can't expect me to take care of her!"

Blaine and Miranda looked at him curiously but the older woman knew not to push his buttons. "Then we'll try and find a home for her." She reached across the table and gently pulled the kitten away from Blaine. "I'll take her to the back to make sure she's as healthy as I think and I'll be right back for you to fill some paperwork out."

Kurt and Blaine watched as she cradled the kitten close to her and slipped through the swinging door. "So…" Blaine said sounding dejected and sighed almost inaudibly.

"You can't expect me to keep a cat," Kurt said getting a little mad. What did this stranger expect him to do? Just let a stray into his home where it could crawl all over his designer clothes and mess up his stuff? He wasn't going to let some boy he barely knew guilt trip him into taking this cat.

Blaine just shrugged and pulled his phone from his back pocket. Kurt watched as he dialed his aunt's number and headed into the hallway. There was nothing Blaine could do to get him to keep this cat. "Hi, Aunt Cindy," he heard him say just before the door closed behind him.

Kurt cursed silently when he had seen the look on Blaine's face right before he disappeared. It wasn't just sad but a little disappointed. And for some reason it made Kurt feel bad.

He sat down in one of the chairs as he waited for someone to return to the room. While he waited he looked around. Much like the other rooms, these walls were a calm yellow color with random pictures of animals Miranda had treated over the years.

Most of the pictures were of big dogs or older cats. But there was one photo on the opposite wall that caught his eye; a white cat sleeping with her kittens close to her. There was a little bronze plaque on the bottom of it and Kurt had to get up to see what was written. The caption said _Abby and kittens, 2009_.

"She's eating," Miranda said as she came back. She wrote something down on the clipboard she was carrying and arched an eyebrow when she saw where Kurt was standing. "Where did Blaine go?"

Kurt glanced at the door that led to the main hallway before speaking. "He's telling his aunt about the kitten," he told her and returned to his seat. "Does it look like she has owners?"

Miranda shook her head sadly and hopped up onto the table where she examined the kitten before. "You already know she didn't have a collar and we couldn't find a chip in her. I have one of the nurses calling the police department to see if anyone's phoned in a missing animal and another phoning the community center to see if anyone's put up flyers there. But you know how fast news travels in this town, Kurt. You and I both know that she has no one."

Although he knew the vet was right he had hoped that someone was looking for the little kitten. "You said if no one claims here then you'll find her a home?" Miranda nodded and smiled when Blaine opened the door and poked his head in. Before he could speak Kurt stood. "Call me if no one claims her. I'll take her."

"Are you sure, Kurt?" the vet asked but was smiling broadly.

The brunet nodded and picked up his bag from the ground. "I'm sure Carole would love to have someone else to care for," he replied with a smile and waved to the woman.

Blaine opened the door to give him room to pass by and waved to Miranda, too. "Thanks for all your help," he said smiling broadly and chased after the taller boy. They were both silent as they walked to the car but once they were buckled in Blaine couldn't hold it in. "What changed your mind?"

What could Kurt say that wouldn't make him sound crazy? He said he'd take the kitten because he felt bad for it? Because his heart ached when he saw the look on Blaine's face when he refused the first time? That maybe having a cat would make Kurt a little happier than he was now?

He just shook his head minutely before starting the car. "I just changed my mind," he answered and backed out of the parking lot. Although he kept his eyes on the road, Kurt just knew that Blaine was smiling next to him in his seat.

Unlike the ride to the vet's, Blaine tried making conversation. "So, you mentioned a glee club earlier," he said casually and turned a little in his seat so he was facing Kurt a more.

Kurt chuckled lightly and nodded, being cautious as they stopped at a stop sign. "It's actually a fairly new club," he informed him as he slowly turned right. "Mr. Shue – he's the Spanish teacher – started it a couple years ago. We made it to Regionals last year but were beaten by another glee club."

Only when Blaine chuckled did Kurt realize he was glaring at the windshield before him. With a blush he changed the subject to Blaine's clubs. "We don't have a glee club at my school," he said and leaned back against the door a little. "The only thing we have related to music is the marching band."

"You don't have a band class?" Kurt asked scandalized and took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at him.

Blaine was smiling shyly and shrugged. "We do, but it's not very big," he admitted and looked out at the road before them. They were getting closer to the bright pink house. "You don't have to be in the class to be in marching band. My school focuses more on academics and sports than the arts."

"That's so depressing," Kurt said quietly as he pulled into the driveway and turned the car off.

Blaine made a noise that sounded like an agreement and unbuckled the seatbelt. "I guess the school board doesn't think art is very important." Kurt watched him climbed out of the van with an open mouth. "Aren't you coming?"

"You can't be serious," he asked, appalled. It took some concentration to actually get out of the car because he was so mad at the mere _thought_ that some school thought the arts weren't good enough to have. "Why would they think that?"

The raven haired boy just shrugged, "I really don't know, Kurt. It's been that way for as long as I can remember. We have one art class, band, and choir. But no clubs like yours."

"That is absurd!" he cried, climbing out of the van. "Why hasn't anyone complained before?" Blaine sighed and walked over to his side of the car. Kurt knew that his cheeks were flushed from rage but when the other boy got closer he felt them heat up even more. "No one wants to complain, do they?"

Blaine just gave him a look that answered his question but then smiled at him. "Thanks for doing…well, this," he said and Kurt was happy to see a faint blush on his cheeks. "I'm just going to tell Zoey and Aunt Cindy about what happened then probably go back to the B&B. You can go back to whatever you were doing before."

The previous topic was all but forgotten as a new thought crept into Kurt's head. Blaine was telling him he could go…He didn't want to spend any more time with him. "Oh, yeah," Kurt replied, hating that he sounded a little hurt. He grabbed his bag from the backseat and started to walk away. "It was nice seeing you again, Blaine."

Before he could make it to the sidewalk he felt someone grab his hand. "Would you want to go for a walk?" Blaine asked without Kurt even looking back at him.

Kurt knew better than to get his hopes but he couldn't stop himself. Slowly, he turned around and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the nervous but hopeful look on Blaine's face. "Where to?" he asked sounding a little stunned. Hadn't he just dismissed him?

Blaine instantly looked relieved and smiled. "You pick after we tell Zoey about the kitten, okay?" Kurt just nodded and was happy to see that Blaine was still holding his hand.

As soon as Blaine realized it too, he dropped it and blushed. "Uh…come on."

They found out that Zoey had gone to take a reluctant nap after Blaine's call but Cindy had promised to tell her what Kurt had done as soon as she woke. "Thank you, Kurt," she said, kissing him on the cheek lightly.

"If I were any other man…" Roger joked and pulled his wife close to kiss her on the lips sweetly.

"Get a room," Blaine laughed and Kurt just rolled his eyes in amusement. They chatted for a few minutes before Cindy excused herself due to her aching feet. "I'll call you later, uncle."

Roger waved goodbye to them as they walked toward the sidewalk. It was a little awkward for Kurt and he suspected that Blaine didn't know why. Instead of explaining it to Blaine, he decided on continuing their conversation from before. "So, you know I'm in glee, what do you do after school?"

"Play football," Blaine answered with a small chuckle which turned into an actual laugh when he saw Kurt's shocked expression. "What?"

"You just don't seem like the football type," he admitted reluctantly, not wanting to explain why he thought that. But Blaine must have known what he was thinking because he just blushed and started talking about their last game.

As they walked down the sidewalk Kurt couldn't help but smile at Blaine's gestures while he told the story. It almost seemed like the other teen's arms couldn't stay still. It would have been endearing if he hadn't lost his balance a few times making him almost fall. But then that wasn't so bad because Kurt got to grab his arm and surreptitiously squeezed the muscles.

"Do you play any sports?" Blaine asked after Kurt saved him for the third time.

The tall brunet looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "Really?"

"What?" Blaine asked, lifting his own eyebrow. "It's just a question."

Kurt shook his head lightly but was smiling. "I played football a couple years ago. I was the kicker and even earned the winning point for our first game that season. But the only reason why I did it was to hide my-" He stopped talking immediately when he realized what he was about to say.

"Your what?" Blaine asked curiously but the way he was looking at him made Kurt think that he already knew what he was about to say.

With a sigh, Kurt answered him. "At the time my dad didn't know that I was gay and I was trying to hide it from him. Apparently he's known since I was three." He couldn't help but smile as he remembered what his father had told him after that.

"He sounds like a great dad," Blaine said and smiled at Kurt.

Kurt nodded glad he had a father like him. They walked in silence again, but this time it was more comfortable. "What position are you?"

Blaine's steps faltered at the question and Kurt realized what the it sounded like. Before he could rephrase it Blaine collected himself. "I'm the running back," he answered and refused to look at Kurt. But the brunet could see a faint blush on his cheeks.

The conversation went from football to New Directions – Kurt's glee club – to music. "Your mom said that you played guitar," Kurt commented casually and saw Blaine straighten just a little as they walked. "What can you play?"

"Just a little of this and that," Blaine answered with a shrug. "But my best song is definitely _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star._" Kurt looked at him curiously and saw that he was grinning.

He quickly realized that it was a joke and playfully pushed him with a laugh. "Seriously, what can you play?"

"I'm actually good with music," Blaine confessed with a small smile. "I can hear a song once and play it after practicing a couple of times."

"Really?" Kurt asked suspiciously but was still smiling. "I'd like to see that."

"Uh…sure," Blaine said with only a moment's hesitation. Kurt looked at him with a bigger smile and turned so they could make their way to the B&B.

**oO0Oo**

Because it was getting later in the day, there was only a few people eating near the kitchen area. Kurt waved to a few of the patrons before following Blaine upstairs. Of course he'd been in the bedrooms up here; he'd even spent some nights with Mercedes when they were younger. But being up here all alone with a boy he found very attractive was different.

"Oh, you got one of the bigger rooms," he commented, trying to dispel his nervousness. But it was true. There were five rooms in the B&B and only the two at the very top of the stairs were big; the others had enough room for a queen sized bed, a set of small dressers, and an equally small desk.

But the rooms that Blaine and his mother had gotten had the same things – the bed was a king size instead – but a lot more room to move around. Not to mention each of the two larger rooms had windows facing the backyard.

After setting his bag on the desk, Kurt pulled the chair out and sat down while he waited for Blaine to get ready. The shorter boy seemed a little nervous as he grabbed the guitar case. Almost the entire outside was covered with stickers of different bands, some that Kurt had never even heard of. But that wasn't so surprising considering what kind of town he lived in.

"Who's…" Kurt leaned forward so he could read one of the upside down stickers better. "_The Knocker_?"

Blaine almost dropped his guitar as he laughed. "That's just a joke," he explained as he carefully removed the instrument from its case. "One of my friends made the sticker for my birthday last year. For one of our classes we had to read a couple of folklores and Wes found some stories about some creatures called the Knockers. They're about 2 feet tall and he thought it'd be a great nickname for me."

"Because you're sho-" Kurt cut himself off before he could finish and blushed more when Blaine laughed again.

"Compared to a lot of my friends? Yes." Blaine closed the lid of the case and sat on his own bed with the guitar. "What kind of song do you want to hear?"

After composing himself, Kurt leaned back in the chair and looked at Blaine. "Something fun?"

Blaine chuckled again and started to play '_Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_.' After a few rounds he started to sing a song that Kurt had never heard. It wasn't until the second verse that he realized Blaine was making it up off the top of his head.

When he finished his impromptu song, Kurt clapped sarcastically but was smiling. Blaine just laughed again and started to play another song. "How about I play…"

"Do you write songs?" Kurt asked suddenly and was only a little shocked at how self-absorbed he sounded, not even letting Blaine finish his suggestion.

He looked at Kurt and nodded a couple of times. "They're not very good, though. I can play something you know."

"I'd like to hear one of them," Kurt interrupted when Blaine started to play a song he'd heard on the radio too many times to count. "Please?"

The raven haired boy stared at him for a moment before sighing and giving in. "I've been working on this one for a couple of months. It's called _Don't You_." Kurt smiled as he stared to play a slow song.

**oO0Oo**

_Reviews make me happy! And a happy writer writes more! :)_


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: If you recognize anything, it's probably not mine. I do own a few OC's shown here and the plot. But that's about it.

**oO0Oo**

Blaine inhaled deeply to calm his nerves as he continued to strum the guitar. The only time he'd ever performed was in front of his mother and his closest friends, so this was a little nerve-wracking. It wasn't because Kurt was someone he'd just met; it was because Blaine was starting too really like him despite only knowing him for a couple of days. After a few more notes, Blaine finally gave in and started to sing.

It was a slow song and Blaine knew that he was focusing on the words more than he should be. After all, he was the one who wrote this song. Not able to look at Kurt as he sang, Blaine closed his eyes as he concentrated.

Just as he was about to start the second verse Kurt's phone went off, making Blaine open his eyes in surprise. "I'm so sorry," Kurt apologized, digging through his bag trying to stop the song. But when he saw who was calling him, he looked at Blaine. "I have to take this, it's my dad. I'll be right back."

The raven haired boy nodded with a small smile and watched at Kurt left the room with his phone up to his ear. Once the door was closed behind him, Blaine set the guitar on the ground. "Oh, boy…"

Kurt wasn't gone very long when Blaine's own phone went off. "What does he want?" he asked himself as he listened to the very familiar song for a few seconds before answering. "Hey, David."

"_Hey, Blaine!"_

Blaine rolled his eyes when he heard Wes's voice instead of their other friend's. "Did you steal his phone again?" he asked as he stood up. Glancing at the door once, he started to pace.

"_It's not my fault he just leaves it lying around. He should know better by now."_

"Why do I get the feeling that it wasn't just _lying_ around?" Blaine laughed as he continued to slowly walk around the room. The other boy chuckled back and Blaine heard the distinct sound of springs squeaking. "Speaking of David, where is he?"

"_Helping his mom with something in the kitchen. Apparently his sister burned the cookies she was making."_

Just as Blaine was about to say something the door to his room opened. "Hang on, Wes," he said into the phone and covered up the mouthpiece as he turned to Kurt. "Everything all right?"

The brunet had stopped halfway through the door before but then continued walking in when Blaine turned to him. "They could be worse," he answered, sounding a little miffed. "There's something wrong at my dad's shop and Finn is too busy with his girlfriend." He walked straight to his bag and hefted it onto his shoulder and frowned sadly at Blaine. "I'm really sorry but I have to go."

"That's okay," Blaine said, forcing a smile. It really was, well, kind of…He needed to work on the song a little more before he finished singing it. "We can hang later, if you want."

The frown changed to the most beautiful smile Blaine had ever seen and Kurt took a small step forward. "I'd really like that," he said before grabbing the small pad of from the top of the small dresser and quickly wrote down his number. "Just…call me later?"

"Sure," Blaine said, taking the piece of paper from Kurt and briefly glancing at it before looking right at the taller boy. "So…I'll call you later."

"I'll be waiting," Kurt replied with a blush and waved before sprinting out the door, his bag hitting the back of his legs as he moved quickly.

Blaine walked toward the still open door with a smile and thought about what Kurt had just said. '_He'll be waiting…_' he thought, still smiling goofily. He was rudely brought out of his thoughts by the phone ringing in his hand.

"_Who the hell was that!"_

Blaine winced at how loud and excited Wes's voice was on the other side of the line. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he lied terribly and closed the door to his room. He could hear the other boy laugh and knew he'd overheard everything.

"_Seriously, what's his name? Is he cute?"_

Aside from his mother, Wes and David were the only people that Blaine had told about his homosexuality, but is still felt awkward talking to them about it. And for some reason, Wes loved talking to him about the boys he liked. "Shouldn't you be helping David?"

"_Stop avoiding my questions, B. What's. His. Name?"_

He knew there was no way he was getting out of this. If he tried to change the subject, Wes would just change it back, hanging up would result in him calling again, and there was no way he could get David on the phone. "Kurt…" he finally admitted, falling back on his bed with a sigh.

"_Is he cute?"_

"I refuse to answer that question, Wes," Blaine groaned, throwing his free arm over his eyes. There was another chuckle from the other end of the line and Blaine knew that Wes already knew the answer. "Why did you call me?

"_Boredom, really. I told you, David went to help his mom and we're playing a two person game. There wasn't anything else I could do. Now…where did you meet him?"_

For the next ten minutes Blaine answered all the questions Wes had about Kurt, only getting a little relief when David returned and stopped a very inappropriate question. "Tell him to stop asking all those perverted questions!" Blaine pleaded once David got his own phone back.

"_That's like asking you to stop singing show tunes. Hang on, Wes wants me to put you on speaker."_

"No! Don't!" Blaine cried out but it was already too late. He could tell that he was on speaker because David's voice was a bit fainter than it was before.

"_Besides finding Kurt, what else have you done? Has Zoey asked about me?"_

Ever since visiting a couple of years ago, Zoey had become infatuated with David and the teen had instantly claimed her as a younger sister. "She's been too excited to see me, D," Blaine answered, thankful for the final change in subject. "But we went to the park earlier and she saved a little kitten."

"_Did she get to keep it?"_ Wes asked, his voice getting a little louder toward the end, indicating that he had gotten closer to the phone.

Blaine chuckled and told his friends what had happened the past few days. The three of them talked a little bit longer but then Blaine's mom told him it was time for dinner. "Tell the boys I say 'hello,'" she said before closing the door behind her.

"_Tell Kurt we said hi,"_ Wes said after Blaine relayed his mother's message. Blaine just rolled his eyes and hung up.

It had gotten darker since he'd started talking to his friends but that hadn't deterred the townspeople from eating at the B&B. There wasn't even a free table when Blaine got down there. Luckily, his mother had arrived early enough to get one of the smaller tables. "I was wondering if you were ever coming down," she joked when he joined her.

"You're hilarious," Blaine replied with a smile and gladly took the menu from her. He hadn't realized that he hadn't had anything to eat until now. His stomach growled loudly just as their waitress stopped by. "Sorry about that."

The redhead just shook her head with a smile, "What can I get you two?"

They ordered quickly, not wanting to keep her from her other customers. But when she was far enough away, Blaine's mother leaned forward with a playful smirk on her face. "She was checking you out."

Blaine blinked at her in confusion and looked over his shoulder to see their waitress looking right back. When she realized she was caught, she quickly spun around and fled to the kitchen area. "Huh…" was all he said and turned back to his mother.

Karen just chuckled and started to read the dessert menu. "So, you found a kitten?"

"No, _Zoey_ found a kitten," Blaine corrected and leaned back in his chair. Sure, he'd already told this story but it was funny and he didn't mind. His mother set the menu down as he told her about his afternoon and stopped just short of him inviting Kurt back to his room. "What did you do today?"

Karen eyed her son suspiciously but answered his question. She'd spent her afternoon at a friend's house and talked with the women she hadn't seen in a year. "I'd really like you to meet them," she said then thanked their waitress when their food arrived. "They've all seen pictures and they want to make sure I haven't been making you up."

Blaine was about to say something to his mother when he noticed there was something written on his napkin. But when he picked it up, he realized he wasn't his. "She gave me her number," he said in disbelief and showed his mother with a blush.

"I told you she was checking you out," his mother said with a laugh before she started eating Caesar salad. Blaine just shook his head a few times before setting down the napkin and put some ketchup on his hamburger.

**oO0Oo**

Later that night, after Blaine and his mother shared a piece of apple pie, they'd each gone to their respective rooms. Blaine was lying down in his bed when he dug his phone out of his pocket. But when he reached for the phone, he felt something brush against his fingertips. "Oh!" he exclaimed, pulling out the paper with Kurt's number on it.

He simply stared at it for a moment, wondering if it was too late to call the other boy. Thinking that it was, Blaine set his phone down beside him on the bed and got up to change into his pajamas, figuring there wasn't anything he was going to do now. Just as he was pulling his shirt off, his phone vibrated and started singing, _Baby Got Back._

"How did he do that?" Blaine asked and quickly grabbed his phone to stop the song. He glared at the text message, speak of the devil.

_From: Wes  
>Have you talked to him yet?<br>-W_

Blaine replied with a quick '_No_' and tossed his phone to the bed. He was about to continue undressing when he noticed Kurt's number again. Maybe it wasn't too late…

He ignored the next text from Wes and quickly dialed Kurt's number before his lost the nerve. It rung for a couple of times, making Blaine rethink about calling him. Okay, maybe it _was_ too late. But before he could hang up, Kurt answered.

"_Hello?"_

"Oh, hey, Kurt," Blaine said and winced when he realized how nervous he sounded. He cleared his throat once. "How'd everything go at your dad's shop?"

"_Great. He just needed an extra pair of hands for something. How was your evening?"_

Blaine couldn't help but smile as he listened to Kurt talk. There was just something about his voice… "It was fine," he answered, sitting on his bed and ignored the vibrate telling him he'd just received a text message. "I talked with some of my friends from school and had dinner with my mom."

"_Sounds nice."_

"It was," Blaine said, lying back. "So, what are you doing tomorrow?"

"_Working."_

Blaine chuckled as the disdainful tone that Kurt used. "Working here?"

"_Unfortunately, yes. I hate taking people's orders. It seems like no one in this town under the age of 50 has any manners!"_ An unfamiliar voice came from the other end, making Blaine arch an eyebrow. Before he could question it, Kurt called out, _"I wasn't including you, Carole."_

"Who's that?" he asked, trying to hide his curiosity but Kurt just chuckled.

"_She's my step-mom. I didn't know she was in the room."_

Now, Blaine chuckled, amused by Kurt's obvious embarrassment. Neither of the boys spoke after that, they couldn't think of anything to say. But the silence wasn't uncomfortable; Blaine actually enjoyed it, just knowing that Kurt was on the other end.

"_I have to get up early tomorrow."_ Kurt laughed lightly but Blaine frowned. He wasn't ready to hang up yet. _"Maybe we can talk after work."_

"I'd like that,' Blaine said honestly, the smile coming back faintly. "What time do you get off?"

"_3."_

"Then I'll call you at 3," he said, smiling a bit bigger.

"_I'll be waiting."_

Okay, now Blaine was smiling a lot bigger now. "Okay. Bye, Kurt."

"_Bye, Blaine."_

They were both silent for a moment before Kurt hung up the phone. Blaine continued to smile as he lowered his phone. Even his text song couldn't make it go away. He just looked at the message and answered Wes' questions before grabbing his guitar to continue working on his song.

**oO0Oo**

_Reviews make me happy!_


End file.
